


Danganronpa LIV: Misconstructed Memoirs

by PopitLockitWriteit



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Attempted Murder, Character Death, Danganronpa fangame, Death, Fanganronpa, Gen, Implied Sexual Content, Murder, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-09
Updated: 2019-12-09
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:22:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21733693
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PopitLockitWriteit/pseuds/PopitLockitWriteit
Summary: What happens when 16 students just going into college, the best of their class and the best of their talent, are thrown into a university made just for them? Is it paradise? An escape from the world? Or is it a brand new hell?Welcome to the University of Worldwide Talents & Dreams! This is a school ran by the very famous Masutākyatto, the Master Cat! Masutākyatto is the headmaster, and the lead runner for this year's season of Danganronpa! And with a twist! It's not High School students this time... it's College students! What could be a better twist than that? Seeing young-adults, who know it all and more-so, kill eachother in the most gruesome, most cruel ways their despair-filled minds can think of? How exciting! Puhuhu!





	1. AUTHOR NOTES

Since this is Danganronpa we're going on about, just remember this series may have strongly written out sexual themes, graphic descriptions of dead bodies/blood, etc. and it is not suitable for younger readers. If you are below the age of 13, I do not recommend reading this story. Viewer discretion is VERY HEAVILY advised.

Other than that, please enjoy the story!~ And don't get too attached to the characters :)

EDIT: Once the book is over, I'll write all 5 free-time events for every character. 

This story was originally on WATTPAD so that's why it has so many parts for the start of uploading this!

The references for all the characters in this story can be found here: <https://refsheet.net/PopitLockitKeepit#danganronpa-liv-misconstructed-memoirs>


	2. Introductions Necessary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our first look into meeting the protagonist, Haruna.

  
..........

......

....

...

..

.

Black. There's just... nothing.

No entering light, no entering noise. Not a single vision or word crosses the space.

And then, I opened my eyes.

Uh, Hi there! I'm Haruna Matsumoto. I'm the Ultimate News Reporter. 

And apparently, I'm the protagonist of this story  
And apparently, I'm the protagonist of this story. I suppose the introduction is really necessary... I got my talent by accident really... I was presenting for my high school class, and before this I'd never had a real talent, but after I finished the teacher noted how good I'd be with reporting the news. I was quirky, I loved to joke around, I even put jokes in my project while still being appropriate of course. So... I took up on the offer, and I... I became a news reporter.

My first report was for a hurricane. I wanted to start big, and I started big. And I made it through. Ever since then, I've been stationed as a news reporter for Wild Wind News, on Channel 182 if you're curious, hehe!

But... enough about me. I'm here to tell you my story.

And this story is not pretty, in any way shape or form...

Everyone, brace yourselves.

I'm about to tell you the story...

...

...of how I survived Danganronpa.


	3. Morning Routine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haruna wakes up in an unfamiliar place.

When I first woke up, I was in bed. Already dressed, my hair somewhat down and brushed, and a cup of coffee already brewed on the nightstand next to me, right next to my hat.

What's weird, you wonder? Well, uh, this isn't my room. This is a dorm room. It's got my colors, a nice little black shelf; three of them actually, right next to my bed, a big closet against the wall, a black leather couch in front of a glass table, and a big flatscreen television. It's a really nice room, for... y'know, a student dorm.

I got up, confused and restless. I didn't even know what time it was. There wasn't a clock in my room, not digital and not normal. There was a big monitor in the corner of the room, though. I don't wanna figure out why that's there...

I looked down to the coffee, still seeing swirls of cream in it. Just how I normally liked it... it was still warm when I picked it up. I may as well take a second to wake up, right? This was made just for me... don't wanna let it go to waste! So I took a sip. And it was perfect. I felt better almost immediately. This coffee tasted of home. It was the most wonderful thing I could have at the moment. So I sat on the edge of the bed, and sipped my coffee, savoring each sip, just to taste that sweetness longer than usual.

Once I'd drank it down, I felt warm and a lot less tired. Now my issue was my hair. It was probably a mess, but I didn't have a mirror so I couldn't really tell. I looked in the drawer of the nightstand, finding a few useful tools. A brush, a few hair pins and ties, my bracelets, and tie. I may as well finish up getting dressed then...

I took a few minutes, brushing through my hair, feeling around and making sure it was straight before I threw my hat on, pulling it down, but not enough it'd cover my eyes. I slipped my bracelets on, tightening them so they wouldn't fall off, and I quickly fastened my tie around my neck, pulling it up so it was nice and snug in place on my collarbone. I didn't need the pins and ties, so I dropped the brush in and shut the drawer, leaving them in there for later. 

Once I was done, I picked up my coffee cup. I was ready to find a kitchen so I could brew some more, but I'd need to get used to this place before that happened. I looked around the room again, just taking it in so I wouldn't feel lost in here the next time I'd have to come in. And I found my microphone on the shelf above my bed. So, as usual, I grabbed hold of it, clutching it close to my chest. I felt safer now that I had all my belongings with me, and I was getting used to this place already.

Oh well, now it was time to leave. I had a lot to do. I just hoped nothing bad would come out of me leaving so early. But, of course, that was probably the worst thought I could have at the moment, for I'd just jinxed myself for the moment I stepped outside.


	4. Wake Up Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone gets up, and gets to meet the mascot.

As soon as I step out of my room, so does everybody else. The other 15 students. Some are shy, some practically kick open their door to get outside, others are just as calm as I am. The room is filled with the sounds of doors opening and closing, students murmuring, and the sound of footsteps as we all step out and shut the doors.

We're all just as confused. We look back and forth from eachother, skeptical and suspicious... and confused. Scared. We don't know these people. We don't know this place. We have no idea what's going on, or what's about to happen.

And then, a soft and high voice speaks out over the monitors, and the only thing on the screen is a cat face, made like an emoticon.

"Goooood morning my dearest students! Welcome to the University of Worldwide Talents & Dreams! If you've all got your boundaries, please make your way to the gymnasium! There's a map on the wall in the dorms that will assist you in coming to the gym! Please do be quick, everyone, as attendance is mandatory!"

And then the screen shut off, and the voice stopped. Still, we all are scared. Attendance is mandatory... what happens if we don't go? I don't think any of us wanted to see that. Once we saw the map, we rushed over, looking over the heads and shoulders of eachother, staring and figuring out the instructions. 

It's not that difficult to understand; the dorms are the center of the campus. Most of everything else is underground. There are 8 building areas surrounding the dorms; the swimming pool, the gymnasium, the library, the teacher's office, a hotel of some sort, a dojo, what looks like a playground, and the last building... has question marks...

I supposed I'd just ask about that later. For now, I needed to head to the gym. It was the second building from the entrance of the dorms on the right. One by one, we all left and entered the gym, where we were told to meet.

We stood there for some time, waiting for whoever had called us all there. Eventually, some of us started to grow impatient...

"Where the heck is this dude?" A purple-haired boy spoke up, flicking his star-framed sunglasses up on his head, adjusting them so they wouldn't fall off. "Weren't we supposed to meet em here?" He lifted his wrist, staring down at the watch on it and tapping the glass.

"They better not be wasting my damn time!" Another man spoke up, gripping onto the crimson red beard under his chin, letting his lips curl back as if snarling. "I wanna know what the hell is going on, and I wanna know now!"

"Um... maybe we should all just relax?" A girl this time. She was pink haired, clutching her hands close to her chest as if she were afraid. Those hands soon moved, playing with the four bows in her braided hair, pulling them over her shoulders and running her fingers over them. She seemed nervous. Poor girl...

"I-I think that girl is right..." I took the moment I could to speak up. "Let's all just relax, and be patient. It shouldn't be too much longer now, right..?"

Some of the students seemed skeptical, looking back at me with wary eyes, and quizzical looks, but it seemed we had come to an agreement. Some students talked amongst themselves, as if trying to relax, and I stayed silent with many of the others.

Some time passed, before a voice rang out.

"Puhuhu! You're all here? Let's get this thing started!" It spoke through the podium, eager and excited just like it was when it was heard over the speakers.

As soon as we heard it, we all turned to the podium at the front and center of the stage. We all fell dead silent, staring and waiting to see whoever carried that voice with them.

Soon, something popped up from behind the podium.

...

A cat. A purple cat, to be exact. A purple cat with a white face, a whole white and egg-shaped belly. It sported fuzzy white paws and a long curly tail that looked like a corkscrew. It had vibrant blue eyes, the left of which looked like it was zig-zagged as if it was scratched off, and a tiny pink nose. To top it off, it wore a pink hair-bow, and a pink tie with a black collar. Its belly-button was poking out, and it bore the shape of a speaker in a way. So this was an animatronic cat...

"Weeelcome!" It spoke out proudly, raising its paws and letting its voice carry across the gym, nearly falling on deaf ears because of our shock. We couldn't believe that this... thing was walking, talking, right in front of us.

"What the hell..?" The bearded man from before raised his voice again, but even at that, it was silent.

"What is that thing?" A new voice broke through the stunned silence. A blue haired girl, her long ponytails almost wrapped around her from the fear and from spinning around most likely. She was trying to untie herself while not taking her eyes off the cat for a single second.

"No time for little questions, and little comments now!" The cat waved its paw with a pout. "Let's get this welcoming ceremony started!"


	5. Welcoming Ceremony

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone gets introduced, and Haruna already has a few thoughts on the situation.

"Now then, allow me to start off our introductions!" The purple cat cleared its throat, its tail eagerly swaying with clear anticipation and excitement for what was to come.

"My name is Masutākyatto!" The cat announced proudly. "If you prefer, you may simply call me... Master Cat!!"

"If we're using honorifics..." A white haired student spoke up, adjusting the top hat on top of his head. "Then should you not be called Mistress Cat? For you are a female, as evident by the voice and appearance."

"You're a smart little cookie, aren't you..?" Master Cat chuckled, her face darkening somewhat as she stared at the student. "Well, I suppose, but truly I don't need to use proper honorifics; I'm both a cat _and_ a robot! So I choose the name, and I call the shots!!"

"You're awfully aggressive..." Another new voice, a raspy one at that. The man in question crossed his arms, clearly feeling the eyes on him as his own deep blue eyes scouted the room, eventually resting on Master Cat again. "Aren't cats supposed to be calm?"

"Grrr..." She doesn't seem to be taking too kindly to these comments. Her paws ball into fists and rest on her furry hips. "It doesn't matter! All kittens have some form of ferocity to them at some point! Now then, if you're all not dumb and you're done asking stupid, meaningless questions, I'd like to continue on!"

Not one person raised their voice again. Master Cat seemed to take kindly to this.

"Thank you, thank you!" She hopped happily in place and clapped her paws together. "Now, this is the welcoming ceremony to the University of Worldwide Talents & Dreams! I'd like to start by handing out these! The Masupads!"

"Masu...pads..?" I found myself speaking out loud, but I was far too quiet for others to question and speak up over.

"The Masupad is a handy-dandy little device that'll keep all your info, and the info of other students as you learn about em! It's got birthdays, heights, weights, your interests, your likes and dislikes, and more importantly... your full name and your talent! You should be greeted with your real full name when you turn on the pad, so make sure you have the right one at all times!"

One by one, we each received our Masupads. Sure enough, once I turned mine on, it displayed my name, and took me straight to the information page. It had my name, my talent, my height, weight, chest size, birthday, my likes and dislikes, and a small blurb about me.

'Haruna Matsumoto is a young spirit, born and raised right in the heart of the city where all her reports come into play. Once just a simple, talentless high school girl, she slowly grew as she realized her talent by presenting projects in her classes. After reporting a hurricane successfully, and saving many lives from her report, she was accepted as part of Channel 182's Wild Wind News. Her talent hasn't failed her yet! So why should it now?'

It had everything right. I was almost frightened. How did they... know so much..?

"Turn em off now and listen everyone! You had your look, pay attention to your headmaster now!" Master Cat's voice sang out over the crowd. Our Masupads shut off, so we were forced to raise our heads and listen once again.

"You know me, and you know yourselves, now you need to know eachother!" She giggled, and hopped from foot to foot. "The way you're all standing right now, one by one you're gonna come up to this podium, state your name and talent, and then walk off! That way, you all can know a little bit about each other before we get this shit-show started! Sound good? It sounds good, cause I came up with it! Now get your fannies moving! Row one, let's start with you missie!"

A brown haired girl bounced up onto the stage. She had a red and white megaphone in her hands. Her throat cleared and she hopped up on top of the podium to stand. She turned the megaphone on and called out over the crowd.

"Goooood morning, students!" Her clear, cheerful voice rang out. "Iii'm Michi Honda, the Ultimate Park Ranger! Please, feel free to call me Michi. Or Mi! I don't mind either one!" She shrugged, shutting her megaphone off before she flipped off the stage, and skittered back to her spot on the floor.

Michi Honda. She certainly made a strong introduction for herself. She's a face and voice I can never forget, not in a million years... so bright and full of energy. I could only imagine what she had in store for us.

Next, a black haired girl rose to the stage. She pushed her hair out of her face, only for it to fall back and cover her right eye. Her eyes glanced around the room as she stared out over the podium.

"Hello everyone," She spoke softly, but her voice still held some sense of authority to it. She still sounded strong; certainly, she wouldn't be soft later, I was willing to bet. "I am Suzu Yamazaki, the Ultimate Opera Singer. I'm pleased to make your acquaintance." She dipped her head respectfully, before walking off-stage.

The Ultimate Opera Singer... it was no wonder her little voice still held so much power behind it. She was soft spoken, but when she would get the chance to sing... I could only imagine the strength, the beauty, the will of her voice echoing across an auditorium...

Then it was my turn. I actually felt a little nervous... usually, it's just me and a camera crew, never really a crowd of people... no, no nerves Haruna! Stay strong...

So I walked up on stage, held my microphone up to my mouth, and stood proudly behind the podium.

"Heeeello everyone!" I pulled my brightest smile on, letting my eyes light up, and my body clearly shimmer with excitement. I stared out over the students, seeing some of their expressions light up totally. I already made their day, it seemed. Some seemed strangely excited though... wide smiles breaking out on their faces, and their eyes sparkling. But I kept going on. "My name is Miss Haruna Matsumoto, the Ultimate News Reporter! I hope to make your days and future shine as bright as my image on your TV screen every morning!"

I winked, before putting my mic behind my back and skipping off stage. Suzu leaned in close to me once I came back down.

"Haruna Matsumoto... of Channel 182, correct?" She spoke quietly, as if hoping only I heard.

"Y-yeah, that's me," I smiled nervously to her.

"I've seen your works, darling. You're wonderful," She smiled softly to me, her visible eye showing a warmth I'd only ever seen when my mother looked at me as a child. I felt safe standing next to her suddenly, and my nervousness disappeared.

"Ah... thank you for watching..."

"Thank you for reporting."

My relationship with her was going wonderfully. I almost couldn't believe it... I felt like I had already made a friend. It was nice.

A blonde stepped past us, gripping onto her scarf, pulling it over her mouth as she stepped up on the stage. Her grass-green eyes were full of fear. Clearly, she didn't want to do this, but she had no choice. She stood up behind the podium, shut her eyes, and spoke up just enough we could hear her.

"M-m-my name is M-Mayu Ito... I'm the Ultimate Beekeeper. I-I... I hope w-w-we can g-get a-along..." She was so shy... I felt bad for her. She stepped down off the stage, clearly happy she didn't have to be up there anymore.

She seemed so feeble... far too kind for her own good. She was scared out of her mind to be here. I wanted to help her in a way... but I knew I'd have to wait. For now, I had to listen as everyone else was introduced.

Next, it was the blue haired girl from before. She seemed to have her hair sorted out, as it was down by her sides again. She seemed a lot more at ease as she shoved the heart-shaped glasses of hers back up on her face. She smiled down at everyone as she reached the podium, and spoke up loudly and clearly.

"My name is Minako Ueda. I'm the Ultimate Babysitter. Since that's my role... I wanna make it my job to try and take care of you all, like a mother in a lot of ways. If you need anything, please don't be afraid to come to me!" She gave us all a small curtsy, having to fix the pin in her hair before she skipped off stage.

Well, she certainly will live up to her role as the Ultimate Babysitter. I have a few 'students' in mind that would love being taken care of by her...

Next up was that purple-haired boy from before. His star-frame glasses had already fallen off before he moved, and he scrambled to get them, mumbling to himself. He pushed them back down on his head, clearly hoping they'd stay like that as he walked up onto the stage, and leaned over on the podium.

"Name's Saburou Koizumi," He certainly fit his looks; he sounded like a typical surfer guy, having a laid back and deep voice. But in a way, it was soothing. "Y'all can call me Sab. They named me the Ultimate Lifeguard. And I guard more lives than just out at sea, baby. Don't be afraid ta ask for help if ya ever need me to save ya." He lifted one hand, pointing a finger gun to the crowd and winking. I heard the exasperated sighs of several students, clearly already annoyed with his flirty and casual behaviour. Well, we'd have to get used to it... He let out a huff, seeing the annoyance in the crowd. His glasses fell back down on his face, and he shoved them into place over his eyes, pulling his hair out to cover the right lens as he walked off stage.

He seemed like such a carefree, clumsy, but helpful sort of guy. I'm willing to admit, I was interested in him. I was positive that interest would change soon, but that didn't stop it from happening and persisting so annoyingly.

Another student with blue hair stepped up to the podium, shortly after Sab had gotten off the stage with his arms crossed. This student seemed eerily calm, a wide smile on her face and a carefree look in her eyes, as if she had absolutely nothing to worry about.

"God's light shines upon me as I stand here... it was destiny for this ceremony to take place so calmly as this," She put her hands together, gripping onto the book she was holding tightly. "Please, dearest friends and allies, refer to me as Yuko Shimizu. I am the Ultimate Priestess, for good reason of course my loves. If you would like, I would not mind if any of you called me Mizu." She stood beside the podium to bow at the waist to the crowd before he hands gripped tightly on the front and back of the book, and she walked off stage.

She was glowing with pride and joy. I'd never seen someone that happy before... Mizu was certainly something. And a priestess... I'd never imagine that to be an ultimate talent, but with how strongly she seemed to believe in her religion, just by a few sentences... I suppose it made sense in her eyes.

Another pink haired student, much calmer than the rest cautiously made their way up to the podium. Their hair was long like a girl's, but they had masculine features... I wouldn't be able to tell their gender until they spoke up. And spoke up they did.

"Morning everyone," Their voice rang out. It was soft, a feminine touch to it, but the clear masculinity was there, making their voice strong. "I'm Kenji Yukimura, the Ultimate Ornithologist. I, uh, study penguins you know. No big deal." He shrugged the situation off, and walked off stage as if it was nothing.

He made it sound like it was nothing, but I knew he took it more seriously than he gave off. He even _looked_ like a penguin. That had to mean something to him.

A pale blue haired student rose to the podium next. He had a very calm, somewhat melancholy aura surrounding him. His arms spread, a book clutched in his left hand as he raised his head to speak.

"Such nervousness is brought amongst this crowd, to introduce yourselves... as it is of mine, I feel such fear, but as I along with some other students have, we have made it through," he smiled softly, shutting his eyes and lifting his chin. "Please, dear followers, friends and allies, refer to me as Ryoichi Shimizu, the Ultimate Priest. Ryo is fine too, of course." He bowed to the crowd before walking off the stage.

Another religion-based talent... was he related to Yuko..? They were both Shimizus... and they have the same eye color. Their hair is both shades of blue. I would expect them to be siblings, wouldn't I?

A very athletic girl skittered past the students in front of her, and backflipped onto the podium on the stage, standing up tall and putting her fists to his hips.

"Shinju Sasaki's my name, Scuba Diving is my game!" She announced proudly. "You can't beat me underwater, baby!" It was a short introduction before she basically threw herself back into place in the crowd, but it seemed worth it she got to show off.

With skills like hers, I'd expect her to be the Ultimate Gymnast or something... but... the Ultimate Scuba Diver? I couldn't believe it. But I suppose I needed to wait and see instead of judging on my first time seeing her at all...

A young, spiky haired man took the floor next, hands clenched into fists at his sides. He seemed pretty confident as he stepped up to the podium. Once his eyes adjusted, they filled with nervousness, fear seeing all the eyes on him. His eyes stopped on one particular student, and he seemed to be asking for help in a way. I saw his eyes were trained on Sab then, who gave him up a thumbs up in reply. Feeling safer, he spoke out.

"I-I'm Juurou Koizumi," He had a very soft and gentle voice, sweeter than any man I'd ever heard in my life. Sweet like candy. It was a soothing voice. I wanted to hear more... "Ju is just fine for a nickname... I'm the Ultimate Marine Biologist. P-pardon my s-shyness, everyone... I'm so sorry..." He nervously played with his hands before he walked off the stage, biting the edge of his sleeve.

His appearance didn't give off the idea he could be a marine biologist, but I shouldn't be basing people off their looks. I needed to be patient to see their personality. But he even admitted he was shy... I'll have to make a note to help him lose that anxiety, if possible.

Next, a purple haired girl. She was busy adjusting the bow on her head before Ju lightly tapped her shoulder, telling her it was her turn.

"My turn? Oh, okay!" She finished fixing her bow and she quickly hopped off to get on the stage. She smiled sweetly at the crowd. "Ayaka Katou, at your service. I'm the Ultimate Florist! I'll help you with all your flowery troubles!" She hopped in place with a giggle before bouncing off the stage and back into her spot.

The Ultimate Florist. I wonder how much she really does know... I suppose I can talk to her about it later whenever I get a chance to...

The white haired student from before had no troubles with walking onto the stage. He didn't seem fazed at all, or even interested in what was going on. It was almost unsettling...

"Nori Fujimoto," His voice was very monotone, not even a smidge of life in it. "I'm the Ultimate Mortician. Please, don't fear me for my talent or appearance. I'm not that mean, or scary, or creepy. I promise." He didn't make another movement as he walked off the stage.

T-the Ultimate... M-mortician..? He said we shouldn't fear him for his talent... but I can't help but wonder what exactly he could _do_ with his talent in a place like this...

The girl with bows and braids was next. She was twirling one braid around her finger as she walked up on stage, and spoke out over the podium, her high pitched and sweet voice stunning even me.

"I'm Wakana Matsuoka," She spoke up. "Wana is fine. I'm the Ultimate Rehabilitation Counselor. I wanna help you all with your problems, and get you to recovery. Don't feel scared to have a little session with me. I'll give you a lollipop when I see you improving!" She stuck her tongue out with a smile, like she was licking an imaginary lollipop, before she hopped off the stage.

I may really need to talk to her... and not just for the lollipops either. I'd love to vent out some problems, especially if she can help me through them...

Next, the blonde from before headed forward up to the podium. He'd found himself chewing on a small piece of wheat as he headed up on stage. Chances are he had it with him, but it was still odd seeing him have it now...

"Youta Nishimura, Ultimate Sheriff," He spoke up curtly, his deep, gruff voice breaking the silence once again, making us all fall entirely, absolutely silent. "I don't wanna see any shit from any of you. I still got the deets to punish you for doin bad shit." He made that threat, then walked calmly off the stage.

He... _reeeally_ wasn't someone I wanted to mess with... at all.

"Finally," The last student grumbled as he headed up on the stage. It was the bearded student from before, and he seemed annoyed. He planted his feet firmly behind the podium and let his raspy voice do the work.

"Rokurou Koizumi, the Ultimate Fisherman. Roku's alright," He said clearly. "I may be a fisherman, but I'll use your head as bait for the sharks if you get in my way. Capiche?" Another threat, and he was off the stage.

I didn't want to mess with him either. Using one of our heads as bait... for the sharks?! He didn't mean that seriously, but it didn't seem like that threat was empty...

"Wowie!" Master Cat spoke up after a short while, hopping back on her podium. "Some of you are... threatening!" She was visibly sweating as she eyed a few students in the crowd. I could tell Roku was one of them. "Well! Now that introductions are done, you guys get the whole rest of today to spend exploring the academy! I'm givin you an easy day for the first day, but don't expect me to go easy on you guys tomorrow, okay?!"

And with that, Master Cat disappeared into the floor.

"Ugh, thank god!" Roku groaned, quickly turning and walking out of the gym. He was awfully excited to be away from everyone...

"Maybe we should all head to our dorms then..." I spoke up so everyone could hear me. "This university is fairly big... wandering around isn't the greatest idea until we've all studied the map well... this would be our chance to do that without a time limit."

Many of the students nodded their heads in agreement with me. And we all poured out of the gym, most of us heading directly for the dorms to check out the map one more time.


	6. CUT OFF: ENTERING CHAPTER 1

The prologue is over, the introductions have finished. Each character has had a significant part of their personality shown to the other students. And now Masutakyatto has a plan since they all know eachother... Haruna has only so much time to rest, and truly understand the place that she's in right now. Going to bed won't be a challenge, but when she wakes up the next morning, something bad is ready to happen... and she has no idea what it's meant to be yet... is she really ready for the troubles she will face in this University?


	7. CHAPTER 1: START

I woke up the next morning, strangely more tired than usual. I probably didn't sleep well last night. Oh well, some coffee was sure to help out... I just needed to find somewhere to make it.

So, I went off to find a kitchen, or somewhere else. I saw a few people walking in the hotel, so I decided to follow. There should be a kitchen in there if we could go into the staff room... and sure enough, there was. Once I entered the staff room, I found that almost everyone was there. 

Ayaka, Michi, Minako, and Mayu were sitting at a table playing some kind of card game. Mayu lay down a card, making everyone look. Michi ended up getting mad, and threw her cards on the table. Minako and Ayaka were left giggling. Mayu soon joined in the giggling, but was trying to calm Michi down, telling her it was just a game.

At a table in the corner, Rokurou, Saburou and Juurou were sitting and talking. Rokurou seemed tired, and he was sipping black coffee. Juurou and Saburou seemed to be sharing hot chocolate; I could tell from the marshmallows floating in it. 

Yuko and Ryoichi were sharing another kind of drink, but I couldn't exactly tell what it was. It was a translucent purple, and had a red stir in it. It had white swirls in it, which I assumed was some kind of sugary substance. They were talking back and forth, taking a few sips, and then sliding the drink across the table to and from eachother. 

Kenji, Youta, and Nori were at a table together, but they didn't seem to be talking. Youta was enjoying a cup of coffee and looking around the room, Kenji was writing something in a journal, and Nori was reading a book that had a golden cross on its brown cover. It seemed like some sort of religious book judging by the symbol, but I could be wrong.

Wakana and Shinju were playing tick-tack-toe on one of the tables. Shinju ended up winning, clapping her hands happily and bouncing in her seat. Wakana made her relax with a smile, and gave her an orange lollipop as a prize. Shinju immediately tore into it, and popped the lollipop in her mouth, holding onto the stick with a bright smile.

Suzu was the only one who was standing. She was standing by the stove, and seemed to be cooking something. A mug was next to the stove, filled with something white, and a small leaf was hanging over the edge of the cup. 

Deciding to ignore that, I started making my coffee. One pack of hazelnut coffee. It already had a sweetener in it, so I didn't have to do much for it... I placed the bag in my cup, and went over to the stove. 

"Hey, Suzu, do you mind if I use this for a minute..?" I asked her quietly.

"If you're making coffee, I already have this water ready..." She looked to me with a smile. "I've been keeping it full because almost everyone has been getting either coffee or hot chocolate this morning. Except, well, me, Yuko, and Ryoichi. I've got milk, and they're sharing some grape lemonade."

"Ah, that's what it was... it looked good."

"It is. I'm not much a fan of grape, but their variation is quite sweet," Suzu shrugged lightly. "I only had a small sip. They offered a small sip to everyone, and promised to make the people who liked it more tomorrow morning. They're very sweet like that. But putting that aside, give me your cup."

I nodded softly, handing my cup to Suzu. She carefully poured the water in until it was a little more than 3/4 full. She went to the fridge, grabbing a carton of milk. 

"This will make it taste better. You're using hazelnut, right?" It's like she had been watching me. She poured the milk in until the cup was filled to the top, and grabbed one of the stirs from a mug against the wall. She started stirring the mix gently. "It's better to include the milk as soon as you put in the water. It enhances the flavor."

She knew a lot about making coffee. I was almost impressed. It was nice letting her show me her way of doing it, but I wondered if it'd be good. As a last step, she took a 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and put it into the coffee, continuing to stir as she did so. "The sweetener isn't very strong. Trust me. Youta got a cup and said it was just how he liked it. And he likes his coffee black."

"Huh... did he tell you that?"

"Yeah, I've known that for a while. I can read people easily, but Youta told me a long time ago, back when we were in high school really. That's a short time before we started dating."

"W-wait, you two are dating?!" I had to say I was surprised. I thought we'd all been brought here at random, and not all of us were related in some way... maybe my memory was just fuzzy. This was the second day of me being here after all. 

"Yeah, we are," Suzu flashed me a small smile before she looked to Youta. He didn't seem to be paying very much attention at the moment, definitely more focused on his coffee than the people around him. "It's such a shame we're stuck in this place, but at least we're together."

"I suppose it really is a good thing then... Being alone wouldn't be too good in here..." I sighed softly. "Unfortunately, I'm totally blinded to who any of you are... But at least a few of you recognize me."

"How lucky," Suzu smiled, as she pulled the sir out of the cup, bringing it to her mouth and sucking on the end, taking some of the coffee off. She pulled back with a smile. "Tastes fine to me. You can grab another stir if it isn't mixed well enough."

She handed the mug to me, and I took it quickly. "Oh thank god, I've been dying to try this for a few minutes... I _really_ like coffee." I took a small sip, and immediately, as the taste hit my tongue, I shuddered.

Suzu seemed pleased, my eyes were practically sparkling. "I suppose you like it?"

I didn't answer her, I was careful and kept sipping the coffee, savoring each little sip as it rushed over my tongue. It took me a moment before I finally replied. "Love..."

"I'm really glad then," Suzu put her hand to her chest with a soft smile. "You can go sit with the others if you'd like, I'll just be here."

"Eh... I don't know who I could sit with really..." I set my mug on the counter, and hopped up onto the counter, leaning against the wall and crossing my leg over my knee. I picked up my cup again, holding it close and being sure I didn't spill it. "So I hope you don't mind if I stay here."

"Ah, of course," Suzu dipped her head to me, and gently picked up her own cup, taking a few small sips. "Well, I do not mind if you stay with me."

"I'm glad!" I gently tapped my hand against my mug, acting as if I was clapping, before I took another quick sip of my coffee.

Suzu had made it really well. I liked her already.


	8. Strange

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haruna notices something strange about the situation.

The rest of us continued our day, chatting and playing games, enjoying our morning drinks and trying to join in with the others. 

A few of the students were a bit hostile, not wanting others to sit with them. A student tried sitting with Youta, Kenji, and Nori, and was rejected pretty harshly... Youta pulled the extra chair over to himself, and propped his feet up on it. 

Some tried to join the groups that were playing games, but they didn't really get a chance to play much, so they ended up going back to their own tables.

It seemed like there was a weird atmosphere in the room, but most of us didn't notice it. Other than the hostility, things were just... weird.

We all finished our drinks, and went our separate ways, except for Suzu and I.

We stayed behind to chat just for a little longer about the things that were going on.

She was the only person that talked with me since the welcoming ceremony... it only makes sense for us to try and keep this relationship going...

"Aren't you going to go find Youta?" I asked her.

"With all that's going on, I'm sure he wants to be alone right now..." Suzu washed her empty cup in the sink, and started drying it. "If he wants to talk with me, he'll be able to find me for himself."

"I suppose that's right..." I took the last few sips of my coffee, and set the mug down next to the sink. 

"But... it seems like you're one of the few people who really doesn't know anyone here... Some of us are related, some of us just knew eachother before the killing game... it seems like most of us get along quite quickly if we haven't," Suzu took my mug off the counter, and began washing it.

"Yeah, I think it's really strange... Strange enough that we don't even know how we ended up here, but I wanna know what have that... 'thing' the thought to bring all of us here in the first place..."

"I could only assume that some of us are quite well known, so that would be obvious to take someone special... You are the head of the most popular news station on television, so taking you would make things a problem for the channel. I myself am quite well known amongst my own home town and some places on the internet for my singing. Youta is a sheriff, so it only makes sense with how much he goes around. Michi is a park ranger, so wherever she works must be quite popular... Wakana is a rehabilitation counselor, so a lot of people have to know her, since she is an Ultimate she has to be amazing at her job, and many people would turn to her for advice. Yuko and Ryoichi are both religious people, so in their home town they are most definitely well known; they have to be good at converting others and speaking for whatever god or gods and goddesses they must follow. Minako is a babysitter, so as an ultimate she must be very well known amongst adults, which only makes her all the more popular."

"But..." Suzu put her hand under her chin, cupping her elbow in her other hand, and closing her eyes gently. "A florist, a marine biologist, a lifeguard, beekeeper, ornithologist, mortician, fisherman, and a scuba diver..."

"There are 16 of us," I counted on my fingers. "8 of us aren't that well known, while 8 of us are... it's half and half. So half of us were chosen because we're very well known... what about the others then?"

"Most likely, for the Koizumi family, they were all chosen because they are family, and were together..." Suzu shrugged. She dried up my cup, and set it down on the counter. I picked it up again, and held it close. "A lifeguard can be quite well known... so perhaps they took advantage of that to find other family members to take. Kenji is a researcher, so they may have difficulty with one less person..."

"The same would go for Juurou in that case as he's a marine biologist, but... the family thing can work as well."

"Yes; true." She nodded to me, and tapped her forehead as she thought. "A mortician being taken... they are many others who take up that job, but taking the one that is best at it... it takes them down one person, to make things more difficult... Taking a fisherman wouldn't affect it as much as we would think, but being down their best person would likely result in a bit of a profit loss..."

"I really can't see why they'd take a scuba diver or a florist... Or a beekeeper for that matter..." I pinched the bridge of my nose, and shut my eyes tight.

"If we're popular people, surely they are as well, somewhere, and that's why they were brought here with us... But I suppose we shouldn't dwell on that now, and figure out a way to escape together before something happens... there has to be a way out of this place; I'm certain of it."

"Right..." I nodded to Suzu, and managed to smile. "May as well get to know eachother so that we can escape easier."

"Right," Suzu patted my shoulder, and smiled back at me. "Everyone's awake and running around all over this place; this is your chance to look around as well, and talk to people you bump into. I've finished doing dishes here, so I'm going to head out and explore for myself. Take care, Haruna."

She patted my head, a soft chuckle escaping her, before she ducked under the door frame, and headed outside.


	9. Rules and Regulations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time to learn the rules! But what do some of them even stand for?

I watched Suzu as she left, before I left myself. I headed back to my dorm, rubbing my forehead. For some reason, this... dumb headache decided to crawl into my head and refused to leave...

I walked into my dorm, flopping onto my bed to relax. I hope to god things are going to stay calm for just a minute.

Of course, they didn't.

My silence was interrupted by a beeping on my Masupad, and the buzzing of the object against my leg. I groaned, pulling it out, and turning it on. A play button lit up on the screen, confusing me at first.

I hesitantly pressed the button. The screen was black for a moment, before it clicked into what seemed like a television program, with Masutakyatto as the star.

She adjusted the camera, before quickly flopping down in her red velvet chair, and continuing to eat a can of tuna she had in her paw while she was at the camera.

She cleared her throat, and fanned herself with her free paw.

"Gosh, this is more awkward than over the monitors... but I forgot to mention something at the welcoming ceremony! If you look on your Masupads after watching this video, there should be a section tiled 'Rules!', and I'd like you all to read that please! We're going to be holding a meeting in the next few days, so please prepare yourselves! As a note, some of the rules relate to something I'll explain at the meeting! I'll also be making morning and nighttime announcements, so deal with it! Now, have fun reading, students!~" 

She waves to the camera before it cuts out, and I'm greeted with the normal Masupad screen again. An icon is lit up, and it is titled Rules and Regulations when I tap on it.

May as well read them while I'm here...

 **Rule #1:** Students may reside only within the school. Leaving campus is an unacceptable use of time.  
 **Rule #2:** "Nighttime" is from 10 pm to 8 am. Some areas are off-limits at night, so please exercise caution.  
 **Rule #3:** Sleeping anywhere other than the dormitory will be seen as sleeping in class and punished accordingly.  
 **Rule #4:** With minimal restrictions, you are free to explore the University of Worldwide Talents & Dreams at your discretion.  
 **Rule #5:** Violence against headmaster Masutakyatto is strictly prohibited, as is destruction of surveillance cameras.  
 **Rule #6:** Anyone who kills a fellow student and becomes "blackened" will graduate, unless they are discovered.  
 **Rule #7:** If the guilty party is exposed during the class trial, they alone will be executed.  
 **Rule #8:** If the guilty party is not exposed, they alone will graduate, and all remaining students will be executed.  
 **Rule #9:** Lending your Masupad to another student is strictly prohibited. Do not break your Masupad either.  
 **Rule #10:** The guilty party may only kill a maximum of two people during any single "Killing Game."  
 **Rule #11:** Masutakyatto will never directly participate in a murder.  
 **Rule #12:** Attempting to break into locked rooms is strictly prohibited.  
 **Rule #13:** Swimming in the pool between 10 pm-8 am is prohibited. Touching the water is also against the school rules.  
 **Rule #14:** If two different murders by two different murderers occur at the same time, only the one whose victim was found first will be the blackened.  
 **Rule #15:** Students who violate these rules will be exterminated with extreme prejudice by Masutakyatto.  
 **Rule #16:** The headmaster may add additional regulations to this list at any time.

So many rules...

But, now I'm... confused.

Some of these rules... mention **killing someone**.

It's... not serious, right?

Just the thought of something like that happening irks me. I'm sure everyone else is just as confused as I am.

I may as well go and talk to the others about this if I want some answers...

I sigh, getting out of bed, and heading back out, to see who all is out there.

While I'm out, I suddenly remember the map of the area, and my mind focuses on the building covered in question marks. I frown, and head to the building to investigate. Maybe it has something to do with some of the rules mentioned..?

I hesitantly go to the building, seeing chains around the door and a lock in the center. The chains and lock are pink, with a gole wrapping around them. I try pulling at the chains and lock to see if they'll break, and a voice greets me.

"Woah, hey, slow down there sweetie pie!" Masutakyatto's voice brings me back, and I jump back off the chains. She's staring at me with a disapproving look, and waving her paw, making 'tsk' sounds. She has a construction hat on. "This building is off limits while construction is goinng on!"

Seemingly out of thin air, she brings out a road sign saying 'Road Work Ahead' with two flashy lights on the sides, and she throws it into the dirt in front of the door.

"But I'll let you get early access to the building if you find a special key!"

"Key..?" I narrow my eyes at her, putting my hands to my hips. "What kind of key?"

"Puhuhu... oh, just a key! You can find it by winning games that are scattered all over the place! Now, I have to get back to work!"

I want to question the cat more, but it disappears into the dirt before I can say anything more.

Annoyed with its actions, and still curious about the building, I glance at the chains and lock. A special key, and games that I can beat that will give it to me...

It's not very convincing, but it's the best I've got for now.

Well, I won't get anything more just by standing around... so I decide to leave before the damn cat shows up again.

I walk off, and find myself in front of the swimming pool building. Out of curiosity, I decide to head in. I'm careful though, as I don't know if anyone is in here...

I find out there are only two people; Shinju and Rokurou. Shinju is swimming in the pool and stopping to float at some areas, while Rokurou is sitting on a bench, his arms over the back, hands dangling behind the bench.

And luckily things arent as bad as I was thinking... stupid brain...

"Ah, you two are in here..."

Shinju's face popps up over the edge of the pool for a moment. "Harunaaaaa!" she falls back in the water with a splash.

I laugh, walking to the edge of the pool and kneeling by it. "Shinju, right..?"

"That's me!" She holds up a thumbs up, then points it at herself with a grin. "Wanna come swimming with me? Rokurou's being a debby downer over there, so I can't ask him to..."

"I'm no downer," Rokurou speaks up. "I didn't even know you were here..." he mumbles, just barely audible to the two of us. "I just came here to be left alone."

I'm not all that convinced. 

"Right... well, unfortunately, I'm gonna have to decline... I'm not a very good swimmer. I got knocked over into the water once during a storm I was reporting on, and the cameraman had to come save me before I drowned..." The memory makes me blush with embarrassment.

Shinju snickers and snorts, splashing the water. "Oh that's hilarious! I bet there's a clip of that on NewsTube somewhere. I gotta get outta here so I can watch it!"

"Please dont..." I wave my hand a few times, more blush creeping over my features. "Enough people have already seen it..."

"Okay, okay, I'll spare you more embarrassment!" Shinju puts her hand up under her chin with the palm down, and brings her other up into a fist, her index finger pointing up, and her thumb spread out. Her arm cocked at a 90 degree angle, and her hand tilted a bit to her left. "But on the other hand it'd be fun to share with my friends back home..."

"Shinjuuu!" I look like a tomato right now.

"I'm kidding!" Shinju splashed her hands back down in the water, sending water droplets flying back all over her, and a few landed on my knee. It wasn't much though, so I didn't mind it. "Gosh, I'm not that much of a meanie shorts!"

"Sure..." I get up and sign, letting my eyes wander until I see a sign. I tilt my head, and walk to the sign with curiosity. 

It's a sign for pool rules.

 **Rule #1:** Swimming in the pool between 10 pm-8 am is prohibited. Touching the water is also against the school rules.  
 **Rule #2:** The pool is open between 8 am and 10 pm.  
 **Rule #3:** A maximum of only 6 people can be in the water at a time. Anyone else getting in the pool will be punished.  
 **Rule #4:** Masupads grant access to the changing rooms for girls and boys, respectively, based on their identity on their Masupad. Entering a room that isnt your assigned gender is against the rules.

"Did either of you notice there were pool rules here?" I decide to ask, though I don't remember saying anything by the time they answer me.

"I was too busy wanting to be alone," Rokurou grumbled, pulling his arms off the back of the bench. He leaned forward, his elbows resting above his knees, and his hands clasped together. "I never noticed em when I came in."

"I basically divebombed straight into the pool when I had the chance..." Shinju chuckled sheepishly, rubbing her thumb over her cheek as she blushed. "So I never saw there were rules..."

"I see... W-well, now you know they exist at least..." I adjusted my hat, pulling it down over my eyes for a moment. "Um, just be sure to read them; there aren't a lot. I think I should be going now..."

"Come back if you ever wanna swim with me, Haruna!" Shinju waves to me, and goes back to swimming. Rokurou stays quiet, spreading one of his hands out in full, like he was waving, before putting the two together again.

I stepped out of the pool building, much more relaxed to be outside again. Well, that was fun.


End file.
